Finally, even the celebration was ideal, under lights under that unusual intense blue southern sky, within the tumult of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose death cult-style at the other end.
Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, the former captain guided the ball away to fine leg to complete his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.
Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Picture trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but profoundly significant.
An Achievement Frozen in Its Own Light
A batsman who already had thirty-nine centuries in this traditional format of a sport has now scored his 40th. However, follow the journey, the craft, the setbacks.
There will, of course, be plenty of banter-war talk to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards?
But there is something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Any Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a great cricketer.
The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Anchor
Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, not least as something solid in the series for this team, a handhold in the ice.
Are England going to win at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did.
And not just a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in truly tough conditions, an innings that may have saved his team in this series.
It began with the team in deep trouble, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at 5/2. Root was dropped early in the slips.
The Dichotomy in the Crease
As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.
At one end, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, lithe, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.
All the while, a darkness was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc revving up for the key spell of the day.
A Costly Choice
Do you run towards this danger? Apparently so. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.
The delivery to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no scenario where this was a sensible choice.
It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
The Veteran's Steady Rebuke
Therefore one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for everyone else’s too.
He delivered his own masterful response, a victory for preparation, correcting your flaws.
England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, provided a lesson in what ability truly means.
Can they dismiss Australia? Can they evolve? Not sure. But Joe Root did score a hundred.
